Murs-athon pt. 17 - Brighter Daze

The years 2014 and 2015 were some of the most successful of our old friend Murs' entire career. In 2014 he pulled a strong career move, aligning with the at-the-time red hot Strange Music label just as they were hitting their heyday. In this year he not only showed up multiple times on Tech N9ne's Strangeulation album, but he also teamed up with ¡MAYDAY! for a collaborative album called ¡MursDay!, which I may write about on here one day if I feel like it. These both created some of the more recognisable Murs tunes, such as "Hard (A Monster Made It)" and "Tabletops". And to top this off, in 2015 Murs released yet another solo album to add to his illustrious catalogue, called Have a Nice Life, which happened to include his most streamed song ever, "Okey Dog", which I must say is a bit of a banger. 

Personally, I liked Have a Nice Life but I didn't love it. Some of the music in there was a little too mainstream, and some of the lyrics a little too corny, even if there are some fantastic songs throughout it as well. It's a solid album in my opinion, not unlike the last couple of 9th Wonder collaborations. And you see what I did there? That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I cleverly transitioned into talking about the subject of today's post - yet another Murs & 9th Wonder project. Because I guess we just haven't heard enough yet. 

It was far more than rumoured at the time of its release that 2012's The Final Adventure was to be the finale for the classic rapper-producer tag team - I mean, look at it's title for God's sake - but I think everyone who's somewhat a fan of hip-hop will know to never believe statements like these. Jay-Z, The Game, even Kids See Ghosts - they all claimed to be retiring or splitting up never to work again, but it would be the spans of two or three years before they would break that promise. And with Murs & 9th Wonder, that was the case too. Enter 2015's Brighter Daze, awful title included, the duo's 6th album together. Brighter Daze received less than ideal promotion thanks to Strange Music practically blotting it out of existence, since they didn't get to release it on their label (meaning no more hits for Murs this time), and there wasn't even a CD released for it, which pisses me off to no end. I need it in the collection Goddammit! The album did differ somewhat from previous Murs & 9th Wonder albums, however, by being 12 tracks rather than 10 like all their previous projects (what a shocker!), and having quite a large guest list as well, with names such as Problem and even Mac Miller making appearances. 

But was this album any good? Well, if it's on the level of The Final Adventure I'll be happy, but if it's anything like that godawful Sweet Lord, then I certainly won't. I hope y'all enjoy the review!

Every song is produced by 9th Wonder

1. The Battle 

Besides the absence of a shout of "what up tho" at the start, something that is sorely missed on some of these later Murs albums, this shit was actually an excellent way to begin the album. 9th Wonder's production is jazzy but also high energy and intense, with fantastic percussion and bass complimenting the sound horns, and Murs' relentless verse that seems like it'll never end is better than almost everything on the previous album (except maybe the title track). Murs' lyrics revolving largely around how you can't fuck with him are nothing to get overly rowdy about, but they are enjoyable nonetheless - a Wu-Tang shout is always appreciated too, even if that particular bar is kind of lame. This serves as more of an introduction than a true structured song, but as intros go - it's pretty dope I have to say.

2. God Black / Black God

It seems Murs has further upped the ante on this absolute banger of a track, with a beat switch towards the end for good measure. The first instrumental on here is pretty beautiful though, with what in my opinion is one of 9th's better sample flips, and Murs spits some dope rhymes on here, where he denounces the legalisation of weed in LA, and also other rappers for glorifying violence. Murs paints himself as a true leader for his people on this track, but somehow doesn't come across as preachy at all, instead bringing some strong points to the table - and it's all helped by the fantastic beat. A second, more hardcore sounding instrumental joins us towards the end as Murs spits a final verse, and I really like that. I've been feeling that Murs' work has been a little too formulaic in my recent reviews of his, so it's cool to have a dope beat switch in there to give me something to be excited about. I fucking loved this one. 

3. How To Rob With Rob

Murs is back on some storytelling shit for this one, with a darker and more harrowing take on songs like "Trevor An' Them" and "L.A. Story Pt. 1", where he tells one concise and very easy to follow story in the form of a verse. The instrumental on here is probably my least favourite so far - the sample is a little too intrusive, and the beat a little too slow paced - but the rapping from Murs certainly makes up for it. I won't spoil the story, as you can go listen yourself, but I will say that it's yet another example of just how great Murs is at laying out a narrative as a rap. He's honestly one of the best. Great track. 

4. Lover Murs

Now this one is not on streaming, as it's one of two songs removed from the streaming edition of the album put out in 2019. And maybe that's a good thing, because while I really like 9th Wonder's incredibly familiar beat, Murs kind of fucks this one up by getting a bit too detailed about his sexual relations with this unnamed woman (potentially the same one he was cheating on in "The Worst"?). I appreciate that you want to express love for this woman, but unfortunately this type of hip-hop is not the place for that. Maybe go collaborate with The Weeknd and then it will work, but unfortunately one whole verse about how you "make them legs spazz" isn't exactly appealing to anyone except for yourself. Thanks, but no thanks. 

5. Get Naked (feat. Problem)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that title. This track right here is a collaboration with the man formerly known as Problem, who is now going by the far stupider stage name JasonMartin for some reason. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's another explicit sex song. Thankfully, this one is a little less insufferable than the previous one, even if it does have its moments - hell, at least this one seems somewhat self aware of what it is. I think the chorus would potentially have been funny too if they didn't keep repeating that annoying-ass rewinding sound - what the hell is that about? Murs' verses are decent though, barring some of the cringier moments (like when he rhymes "dictator" with, you guessed it, "dick later"), and I actually enjoy Problem's slightly off kilter flow on here a lot too. Yeah, it's still kind of weak compared to the first three tracks, but it's not bad - hell, what could be with this dope ass instrumental?

6. The Shutters (feat. Reuben Vincent & Bad Lucc)

Finally we've left the dodgy sex songs behind, and we're back to the fucking dope shit. Because that is very much what this is. This track is straight up rapping with no bullshit hooks in sight, as the three MC's showcase their unique styles over an intense and positively fire 9th Wonder instrumental. I reckon Bad Lucc might have actually had my favourite verse - he sounds like Big Scoob without the dirty south drawl, and I'm here for it. Reuben and Murs both absolutely kill it too though, with Murs having a fantastic opening verse on here that really sets the tone, and is somewhat prophetic as well ("grey dreadlocks" seems to be exactly what Murs is rocking right now). This was some absolutely dope shit - at this point in Murs' career it really doesn't get much better. 

7. Wait... Back It Up

Yes, this is another "song for the ladies", but it's not really. This song is more about how you shouldn't let your lust control you, because it could potentially end up ruining the relationships with those that truly mean something, and I really fuck with that concept. The track details how Murs is not only acting like a different person and losing touch with his homies, but he's even sinking to the point of not wanting to see his kids because he's too busy spending time with this woman. It shows a new level of growth for Murs, who's older love songs were simple and surface level. And not only that, but the chorus interpolates A Tribe Called Quest, which I love, and the instrumental from 9th Wonder is relaxing and totally beautiful. This is honestly a sick track.

8. If This Should End 

Up to this point the emotional high of this record, a dedication to Murs' wife, who's relationships with our host seem to be getting a little rocky at this point - and I am aware that Murs' 2018 record A Strange Journey Into the Unimaginable is about the divorce they eventually had, so obviously it didn't get better. It makes that transition from "if this should end" to "when this shit end" in the chorus that much more heart-wrenching. I honestly do feel like this song could have been slightly better though, even though I really like Murs' verses and overall concept here, of finding why it's gone wrong and why they need to move on. I think Murs has admitted that he's not great at writing hooks, but for some reason he continues to do them, and this one is... kind of bullshit? It's just too fast for the repetition to work, and even though the transition I mentioned earlier is powerful, the bit before it is just kind of annoying. Furthermore, 9th Wonder's soulful beat doesn't really match the heart-wrenching lyrics at all. This is good, don't get me wrong - I just feel like it could have been better. Also, that "Houston we have a problem" line... oh dear.

9. Walk Like a God (feat. Rapsody & Propaganda)

Another sequel to "Walk Like a Man", and after the mediocre "Walk Like a Woman" from The Final Adventure, I think Murs has redeemed himself, as I loved this shit. However, that's more down to Rapsody than Murs himself, as her verse here is for sure one of the best on the entire record, as she laments on how different religious beliefs, including atheism, don't make you a worse person. But it's her bar at the very end "every saint got a past and every sinner got a future" that I was particularly impressed by - that's a truly excellent line, and one of those that really makes you think. Propaganda, a Christian rapper whom I had never heard of before until today, also shines through on this cut, with the lines "there were times I felt hip-hop was God's gift just for me / can't verify it but sure can't deny it" being some that I'm sure many relate to. My personal beliefs in God? I'm not sure. But I do know that this certainly offered a great commentary on the uncertainty of who or what He is. This was really good. 

10. Otha Fish

An actual cover of The Pharcyde's song of the same name - well I certainly didn't see that coming. This reminds me of when Murs sampled The Pharcyde on "Never Eat" off of Good Music. Man, I still love that album to this day. Unlike his cover of "I Used To Love H.E.R.", this one is pretty much a word for word copy of the original song, so there's not much to say, but I do think it's interesting that he did it. Covers are very much something hip-hoppers tend to avoid (probably due to the competitive roots of the genre), but it makes sense that a spokesperson for peace like Murs would be the one to do one. So I fuck with it. 

11. No Shots (feat. Mac Miller, Vinny Radio, Franchise & Choo Jackson)

Shit is fuckin' DOPE! This posse cut features legend of 2010's hip-hop Mac Miller (R.I.P), alongside a bunch of his apprentices, all over what has to be the absolute best instrumental over the course of this entire record. 9th's relaxing and jazzy beat is perfect for a chill posse cut like this, and no-one disappoints. I absolutely love Mac's singing during this chorus, and his verse ain't half bad either - but it's Murs who might be the star of the show here, with an incredibly strong showing on the final verse, which is long as hell but full of great bars. Man this instrumental is good. Why the hell didn't they put this song on streaming? It's gotta be the best song on the album. I'm sorry, it just has to be. 

12. Murs SuperStar

Murs ends the record on a poignant note with a sentimental instrumental from 9th Wonder, and verses from Murs surrounding his current situation being very different from where he started, and also how he likes being an OG of the game - then again, who wouldn't. He even makes reference to his debut album F'Real on here. This song wouldn't really work that well on its own I don't think, and doesn't have nearly as much replay value as the previous track, but as a closer here it works well, and sounds nice. A dope ending to an even doper album. 

I think I've discovered Murs' best album since 2011's Love & Rockets Vol. 1, and that album was absolutely incredible so that's quite a feat. This thing isn't quite incredible, but it's certainly very goddamn good, and I think that's down mainly to 9th Wonder's production. On Fornever and The Final Adventure, Murs was (almost) always on form, showcasing dope ass storytelling and writing, with his voice that really came into a new, deeper form during his 2010s projects, in a good way that is, of course. However, I felt like 9th could sometimes be inconsistent with the beats on those projects - some were great of course, but some felt a little cheap, with his sampling also often coming across as a bit intrusive. But on this album, 9th Wonder's production is consistently excellent, with almost every beat here not only sounding great, but fitting the lyrical themes of the tracks perfectly as well. In fact, it's Murs who's the more inconsistent here - most of his lyrics are dope, but some of these one liners are painful, and a track like "Lover Murs" should never have been written in the first place. Don't ask me what he was doing with that. But when it comes to the high points on this project, it's all laughs, because there's some truly dope shit, whether that be in the form of great solo cuts like "God Black/Black God" and "Wait... Back It Up", or some of the posse cut tracks on here, with "No Shots" being probably my favourite song on the entire album. This isn't a modern classic - I don't think there's going to be too much replay value here, and it has it's down moments - but it is a great record, and in the right setting it's hugely fun to listen to. Brighter Daze is a nice surprise, and hopefully down the line Murs can continue a solid streak - next up are his other two records with Strange Music, which hopefully aren't quite as overly polished as Have a Nice Life. I look forward to writing about those - for now, you guys go check out Brighter Daze, and make sure you find "No Shots" on YouTube - I'll promise it'll be worth it.

Expectations: Exceeded 

Best: "No Shots"

Worst: "Lover Murs"

Find more of the Murs-athon over here!

Live & In Colour: Common - Be (20th Anniversary Edition)

Friday was my last actual day of college (I still have a couple of exams left), and you know what that means - I might consider actually getting consistent with this blog again! Fingers crossed, touch wood, etc.

More importantly, however,  yesterday was the 20th anniversary of what in my opinion is one of the greatest hip-hop records ever created, Common's 6th studio album Be. I've already reviewed this album on the blog, so if you'd like to check that out you might consider heading over here. However, to commemorate the original project, Common decided to unleash even more material onto the public - that being a blatant cash grab aside (similar to all the Expanded Editions Eminem has been putting out recently, filled with nothing but instrumentals and live recordings, rather than something anyone outside of the most obsessive Stan would actually care about), I was excited to hear about this release, but ended up being disappointed anyway when on the re-release there was a total one completely new song that I had never heard before.

Still, given how much this album means to me, and how I still want to support Common given his strong work ethic into the current decade, I figured I'd give this release a review anyway. And I am excited to hear that one new song. 

1. The Corner - Remix (feat. Mos Def & Scarface) (prod. Kanye West)

I've already heard this one, since I picked up a generic sleeve vinyl single for it a while ago (I'm somewhat of a completist). While on it's own the song sounds fantastic, I can't help but think I actually do prefer the original. It makes sense, since Lonnie is my favourite rapper of the three here, but even then I think his three verses on the OG are better than the new one he kicks on this star studded remix. The instrumental, chorus, and Last Poets parts are all exactly the same here - in other words absolute perfection - but with a True Magic era Yasiin and a My Homies Part 1 era Scarface, you aren't necessarily getting these guys in their primes, and it shows here, as neither verse particularly stands out as fantastic. I especially dislike the second half of Scarface's verse, where he begins to end every bar with the same word - like that has ever sounded good. Still, I do like how Common got some other big names on this remix, and I have to say I am a fan of his verse here, which does have some impressive rhyme schemes. This is good - just doesn't stand to the original in my opinion.

2. The Corner - Last Poet Reprise (feat. The Last Poets) (prod. Kanye West)

Basically just an instrumental version of the song with some extra words from The Last Poets (not that I expected more from the title). Still, the chances of me choosing to listen to this again are about as high as the chances of 50 Cent releasing another good album. 

3. GO! - Jazzanova Remix (feat. Joy Denalane & Jazzanova) (prod. Kanye West)

Unexpectedly, I actually kind of... prefer this to the original? Granted barely anything has changed, but I was never the hugest fan of the Kanye West chanting on the chorus of the OG, and to have that replaced with some frankly beautiful female vocals that fit perfectly over this instrumental can only have been a good thing - and it really was. If you like the original but find Kanye's part to be a little too repetitive like me, then please check this out - it's brilliant. 

4. The Food (prod. Kanye West)

Many were head over heels to see that the studio version of this track originally only widely available in live form was finally getting a release on streaming, which was odd to me, since a lot of people seemed to think that the track being live helped give it a certain energy to give Be a more hyped up feel. Still, I guess this version of the song is cool, even though the live version was definitely the better choice for Be - this studio version would be kind of a mood killer after the aggressive "Chi-City". But on here it works - I really like this. 

5. So Cool (feat. Sa-Ra) (prod. Sa-Ra)

So I already wrote about this on my original review for Be, since it's a hidden track on my disc, but I will say here that I do like it a lot, despite it's overwhelmingly different atmosphere to the Be album. Yes, Common's verses on this song are kind of goofy, but my god is the chorus good. Check it out. 

6. The Movement (prod. J Dilla)

Here we are - the main reason why I actually decided to review this re-release in the first place. This is the only completely new song to me, although according to Genius it had been previously released as part of the NBA 2K6 soundtrack. Unfortunately, this doesn't sound anything like either of the J Dilla produced tracks on Be, nor does it sound like a Common song at all. This shit sounds like an outtake from Universal Mind Control if anything. On this cut, Com handles a more electronic Dilla instrumental, kind of like some of what he produced for Busta Rhymes on Genesis, and I have to say it hasn't aged massively well. It's not a bad beat by any means - it's just that some of the sound effects in here are a little too bleep-bloopy, and do sound straight out of 2005. The thing is, Common's album Be aged timelessly, while this song sounds like an attempt at a club banger by someone who just isn't suited to them - kind of like that weird "The Jump Off" track that Mos Def had with Ludacris. Also, the chorus sucks balls. I don't think this song is bad - it just really isn't what I or anyone else is looking for with Common's music. 

You know what, I'll let this one down easy. Yes, some of these weren't very good, or anything I would want to return to, but with anniversary editions it's difficult for an artist. The fans want to hear new shit that you recorded for the album but didn't release, but the problem is that there's an expectation for that stuff to be almost as good as the album stuff - when in reality there's probably a reason the tracks were left off of it. That's why, while "The Movement" was a bit of a disappointment, I won't blame Common for it. As for the rest of this, it's okay. The versions of "The Corner" aren't anything special, but please do check out the remix for "GO!", as it is kind of superior to the original in my opinion. And as for "The Food" and "So Cool", they're both pretty great too. 

Perhaps the worst outcome of this post is that it has reminded me what I'm reviewing next in the Common discography - 2008's Universal Mind Control. Wish me luck, everyone. I'll need it. 

My rating: 7/10

Catch up on a ton more Common over here!

Live & In Colour: Xzibit - Kingmaker

(Debuting a new series - "Live & In Colour", where I listen to brand new albums from artists I'm already familiar with. I told you guys I was gonna start doing more new stuff!!)

Xzibit is an interesting career study. The man begun as a West Coast underground MC affiliated with Tha Alkaholiks, who made a name for himself among the more hardcore hip-hop heads for his aggressive and punchy rapping, and his albums which blended humour, reflection, and moments of murderous rage. His debut At the Speed of Life is one of the strongest albums of the mid '90s in my opinion, with hits like "Paparazzi" and "Eyes May Shine" cementing him as a force to be reckoned with (even 2Pac was threatened - one of his fellow Outlawz even found time to diss him on Pac's Makaveli posthumous record). And after his even better sophomore record, X managed to find himself in the company of the likes of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem - not a position to be sniffed at, especially at the turn of the millennium when these guys were the biggest names in hip-hop. His third album Restless was expected to catapult him into legend territory, but despite it being a pretty great record it didn't really do that - sure it charted, but you certainly won't have seen it put up against 2001 or Doggystyle, even at the time. Soon after, X was approached by MTV to host a new program about turning people's cars into nightclubs, called Pimp My Ride, and while this did make X a household name, it also heavily tainted his reputation as a legitimate MC, and his output from 2002 to 2006 went largely under the radar, with the reception from those who actually bothered to listen being lukewarm. 

When Pimp My Ride ended in 2007, Xzibit celebrated by taking part in the Gumball Rally (no, seriously), but the partying was short lived, because the lack of attention towards any of his music meant he found himself in financial trouble. He had alienated almost all of his past collaborators, and his image was nothing more than a now stale joke to most music fans. He went through a dark time, but got back on his feet in time for 2012, when he released what for a long time was recognised as his final solo album Napalm, an album which I'll wait to review before sharing my thoughts on. But what the album did seem to do was show the world (or the tiny percentage of it that actually listened) that Alvin Joiner was back on his feet. Through the 2010s he actually released some other projects as part of a group called the Serial Killers, but it wasn't until 2022 that he announced another solo effort might be coming. I remember being hyped when he announced a new album on his instagram late that year, but unsurprisingly this excitement was unfounded, because like many hip-hop artists nowadays this announcement came with a wait of two years before he would drop the lead single. Maybe the album should've been called Restful instead. 

And yesterday, he finally dropped the album. The pretentiously titled Kingmaker comes with a predictably shoddy album cover, and a tracklist longer than any he's attempted before (well, in terms of amount - for having 20 songs this thing is short, at just over an hour), which should mean we might be in for some filler. I'm personally not expecting too much though. Xzibit is far past his prime, and even with Dre behind the boards and Redman on the guest list, I'm ready for this to be overly long, packed with filler, and lacking in much substance outside of Xzibit's legend status (well that's what I'll infer from the title). Hopefully setting my hopes low will give us a positive outcome. We'll see. 

1. Play This At My Funeral (prod. Köach)

Even though Xzibit's opening line as well as reference to taking a "selfie" indicate a man who is trying too hard to fit in with the younger generation, I actually thought this track was kind of great. X goes all in with no hook here, even making reference to the fact towards the end of the verse, Prodigy style, and he sounds pretty great - unlike Busta Rhymes, Xzibit has managed to find production styles that actually fit his very gruff delivery, meaning even though he sounds like he's had a pack a day since birth on here, he still doesn't come across like a Disney villain who specialises in gargling gravel. The lyrics and rhyme schemes here aren't Grammy worthy, but they do at least sound like Xzibit put a portion of his heart and/or soul into them, and helped along by some emotional and varied production, the end result is truly great. A very strong way to start the album. 

2. Everywhere I Go (feat. Dem Jointz) (prod. Dem Jointz)

This one sounds like a more updated and less annoying version of the tracks that Jelly Roll would produce for Xzibit back in the day, and I'm all for it - despite the overly repetitive chorus I was a huge fan of this joint. "Hydraulics singing like The Weeknd" is my favourite bar of the album so far just because of how goofy it is, and Xzibit flows with some semblance of self awareness over this banging beat - he really does sound like he's having a lot of fun. This isn't anything crazy, but it certainly is enjoyable, and that's all I can really ask of the man at this point in his career. 

3. Been a Long Time Pt. 2 (feat. Jenn Em) (prod. Dem Jointz)

A not so long awaited sequel to one of the deep cuts off of Restless, "Been a Long Time", a track which actually featured Nate Dogg. It's quite insulting to his memory I would say to have the singing on this track be so bad - all respect to Jenn Em, but she sounds just like one of those robotronic sounding female singers that appeared on early 2000s Xzibit albums, and it does not sound good at all. Aside from the singing (which sadly takes up quite a lot of time) I do quite like this one. The instrumental on here is groovy as fuck, and Xzibit continually improves to still be an entertaining MC - I especially like the self awareness here, where he not only acknowledges that he's considered kind of irrelevant these days, but also flat out admits that his "rap career is finished". I respect that - not many could acknowledge such a thing. Hell, he even refers to himself as an "elephant" on here. Sure, the singing here kind of sucks, but I still like the song. Xzibit is really impressing me so far. 

4. The Moment (feat. Busta Rhymes & JasonMartin) (prod. JasonMartin)

Perhaps I spoke too soon. This is the first song on the album that wasn't released as a single prior (personally I didn't check any of the singles, as I wanted the album experience to be whole), and it's a complete clusterfuck. After a completely random and unnecessary rising sound effect, the track drops in with a predictably awful Busta Rhymes verse, where he uses that weird vocal effect he's been utilising as of late as a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that his voice sounds awful. Seriously, Busta's music ever since the surprisingly great E.L.E. 2 has been a complete spiralling disaster. Xzibit also makes his first truly poor vocal performance of the album on the hook here, where he uses some amateur autotune straight out of 2006 to create the worst chorus I've heard all year. At least his verse is okay. And while JasonMartin (formerly Problem) is alright, he doesn't do enough to save the song, which by the way has the blandest beat yet. Yeah, I think it's best we forget this song existed.

(It's highly likely that this track was rushed onto the album, because it's the only track not seen on advance track listings we saw). 

5. Earth Is Over (prod. Big Duke)

Surely Busta Rhymes should have been on the song with this title instead. This track is kind of overdramatic, but yet and still I found it pretty great. On the first verse here X seems to be dissing some unnamed group, if lyrics such as "when the pawns get lucky and start to close in on the queen" and "put some respect on my name, baby, all three of y'all" are anything to go by - maybe I'll have a look into recent X controversies after I've finished this write-up. I don't know who this Big Duke guy is, but his beat here is certainly entertaining, with an unsettling atmosphere that truly does sound straight out of an apocalyptic film, and Xzibit's lyrics are highly intriguing. There's some Louis Farrakhan samples in there too, because of course there are - this is the album of a veteran rapper after all. Whatever, I fuck with this. 

6. Leave Me Alone (feat. Dr. Dre & Ty Dolla $ign) (prod. Swizz Beatz & Dr. Dre)

Remember when there were rumours that Dr. Dre was going to be producing this entire album? Yeah, like that was ever going to happen. And I guess Ty Dolla's working relationship with the world's most famous neo-Nazi hasn't slated his image - I mean, he did disassociate himself with an Instagram story, so maybe he simply missed everything Ye said before Vultures 1 was recorded. And hold on... Swizz Beatz? Really? This whole song has to be the product of a fever dream. And yet... it's kind of good. Well, that is until Xzibit starts reciting some lyrics from fucking "Not Like Us", which is a complete turn off. Maybe that would have worked about a year ago... . Still, I found the beat on here to be really fun, and Dre's verse was great too, despite the irony in the line "strange morning if I wake up with nothing to say" (given Dre's notoriety for having his verses ghostwritten). Ignore Ty Dolla's rather bland appearance on this cut, and you've got a dope banger. 

7. Belly Of The Beast (feat. JasonMartin) (prod. David Moss)

Even if musically this song isn't anything to jump in the air about, it is interesting how well both Xzibit and Problem are still able to rap. Initially I was kind of thrown off by Problem (I'm not calling him fucking JasonMartin anymore - what kind of stage name is that?), due to his incredibly casual and conversational flow here, but I slowly got into it, and with Xzibit I was engaged from the start. The rapping on here is bloody great, and while this beat is very low key, it does it's job at giving the MCs something to spit over. "What's your definition of a GOAT? By the time you have your answer we'll be on the boat" is also an incredibly cold bar. This shit is dope!

8. History (prod. Justin Rhodes)

I'm a little conflicted on this one, but I think I like it. There's a bunch of shit wrong with it though. For starters, that godawful vocal sample in this beat is a heavy turn-off, and completely ruins the otherwise hardcore drum, bass and synths throughout this track. Furthermore, Xzibit's cramming of the phrase "perfect attendance" into the end of one of these lines sounds so off that it reads like he couldn't be bothered to find a different rhyme, so shoved that one in instead even though it didn't fit. There's also a horribly acted skit at the end here - stick to the rapping, Xzibit. I will say, however, that aside from this small complaint the second verse on here is pretty dope, especially the line about Lizzo (the first verse sadly sounds like it was ghostwritten by The Game - go listen, you'll see what I mean). You may have noticed this paragraph is a bit confused, and that's because I can't decide what to say - I enjoy this song, but most of it is bad. Got it? Good. 

9. Genesis (prod. Köach)

The preceding skit would lead one to believe that this one would be about X growing up, but instead it seems more focused on dissing modern mainstream rappers and their glorification of drug use, and referring to an unnamed member of his audience as "a motherfucking imbecile", which surely can't be a good marketing strategy. Even though the hook on here is rather unnecessary, I enjoyed the shit out of this - the synthy production makes me feel like I'm in LA 30 years in the future, and Xzibit continues to impress behind the mic, with his rhyme schemes standing out especially on this joint. This thing is shaping up to be rather good. 

10. Perfect Alibi (feat. STALONE) (prod. Dem Jointz)

X gets his lover boy on for this "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" type track where X expresses his love for a woman, with his bars ranging from damn great to bloody embarrassing. "I touch on records like Tony Touch" - really Xzibit? That's the best you could come up with? And don't get me started on "I'm a martian, I have landed, I'm conquering Venus". On the other hand, I fucking loved "your head game is out of the equation if your brain can't function", which is so good it cancels out the other two. Musically, again I'm conflicted. I don't mess with Stalone - sorry - STALONE (!)'s chorus much at all, and similarly the beat is kind of weird, if kind of nice as well. But again this is pretty well written for an old ass man, and aside from those two particularly weak bars I thought everything else was nice. This isn't a huge highlight, but it's a chill cut nonetheless. 

11. American Idols (feat. Symba) (prod. SNDTRAK)

A song in which Xzibit dedicates multiple bars to dissing the metaverse and Bitcoin, and guest rapper Symba seems to actually defend Kanye West, unless I'm reading into his bars wrong. I also feel like the use of the word "cracker" is kind of outdated in 2025, but again maybe I'm just not in the know. Whatever, I wasn't a massive fan of this one. The production was pretty enjoyable, sure, but this was the first song where it felt like I was listening to something made by old men trying to sound "hip" while also inevitably having their music age poorly by referencing current trends. I'm quite happy this album has only done that once up to this point though, so I'll forget about this slightly off moment and move onwards. But as I said the beat wasn't bad...

12. Crash (feat. Royce Da 5'9"& K.A.A.N.) (prod. Big Duke)

Aside from the disgustingly awful hook from something called "K.A.A.N." (who the fuck is coming up with stage names these days??), I kind of liked this one, even if it took a short while to get into. The instrumental that constantly sounds like it's building into a drop that never drops is kind of weird, but also gives the track a uniquely intense atmosphere that has it stand out from the crowd of veteran hip-hop, and while Royce certainly isn't the MC I'd choose for a beat like this, he seems to do his thing as well as is possible. But it's X who is the star of the show. This man flows over this beat like he never even took a 13 year break from releasing solo music. Since when was 2025 Xzibit this good?

13. For The Love (feat. Ice Cube & Lorine Chia) (prod. Big Duke)

This was another one of the singles, and while I didn't listen to Ice Cube's album last year (I probably will at some point), the negative reception of that plus everything else he's released in the last 25 years meant I wasn't entirely hyped for this track. So imagine my surprise when I found it was actually pretty goddamn incredible!! The instrumental on here takes a very obvious sample of Mobb Deep's classic "Quiet Storm", and while once again we have a slightly iffy female sung chorus, it's the way Xzibit sounds over this instrumental that makes this track - he exudes menace, and his verses here make you forget entirely about his past career as a yelling caricature who placed swimming pools in the back of people's Vauxhalls. Ice Cube is also okay, with his final line standing out as especially funny. This song is one of the best on the album, and one of the few instances where a sample of a classic hip-hop song actually works (looking at you Busta Rhymes). 

14. Shut Yo Mouth (feat. Compton Av & Butch Cassidy) (prod. DJ Battlecat)

Am I crazy, or did Compton Av just spend half his verse dissing me? Well, despite his accusations, I don't make any shit up in my blogs, hence why I'm about to say that his stage name is trash. Hah! I actually did like this song though. Given Battlecat's credit, this is predictably the most '90s West Coast sounding track on the entire album, with the bouncy beat sounding like something early E-40 might rhyme over, or perhaps something that would appear on The Documentary 2.5 by The Game. Butch Cassidy channels his inner Nate Dogg on here with a surprisingly effective hook, and both X and Compton Av do their thing. This is dope. Did Xzibit really have to reference Alexa at the end though? Are you fucking serious?

15. Higher (feat. Redman & B-Real) (prod. Focus...)

Probably my most anticipated song off of this album, given that it features Redman, who you'll notice has gotten quite a lot of coverage on this blog - he's one of my favourite rappers of all time, and he's still got skills today, and his verse here, while nothing mental, is pretty fun and shows someone who's really living the dream. X probably has the best verse though, although it has to be said that B-Real wasn't bad. All round just another great, fun song. This is exactly the kind of material these guys should be releasing - there are too many vets trying desperately to sound modern these days, and it never works. This here is the perfect balance between having that old school feel without being dated, and it's great. 

16. Success (prod. will.i.am)

More of a spoken word interlude than an actual song, Xzibit goes into detail attempting to personify the concept of "success", with some flowing towards the end. What makes this extra interesting is that will.i.am's jazzy production is actually pretty fucking awesome. This is the guy that made "My Humps"? You can check this interlude out for the music alone - it's truly enjoyable. 

17. Notified (feat. King Tee & Cold 187um) (prod. Beat Butcha)

Aside from a short introduction, Xzibit sits this one out, instead allowing King Tee to take hold of mic duties (Cold 187um provides the hook). The results are only alright though. For some reason the instrumental on here particularly grates on my ear drums, completely unlike the dope stuff we've heard on the previous few tracks, and while King Tee is okay, his crow-sound ad-lib certainly isn't. The chorus is actually quite decent, but unfortunately King Tee isn't quite the force to be reckoned with on here that he once was in the '90s. It's almost like his unique delivery has disappeared. Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. 

18. What U Like (feat. Guapdad 4000 & Daygo Fatts) (prod. DJ Khalil)

Guapdad 4000? What the fuck? Still, his performance on here at least sounded a lot better than that of Daygo Fatts, who mumbles his way through this groovy DJ Khalil instrumental as if he's just taken a giant bite out of a wasp's nest. Still, I kind of fuck with this - Khalil's beat is nice as hell, with the switches being particularly pleasant, and while his verse is weirdly short, Xzibit is killer, showing a more introspective side on this otherwise hype track. I enjoyed this one - just please never expose us to this Daygo Fatts bloke again. 

19. End Of The Day (feat. Tre Capital, Domo Genesis & Adé Békoé) (prod. Big Duke)

Over a somber boom-bap instrumental, X gets introspective with Tre Capital and Domo Genesis, really taking a look on their past lives and motivating themselves to move forward. "Never count the shots you miss only the ones that you make" is a great line, and I also like how Tre admitted a rather embarrassing anecdote about almost dying when he got his head stuck in a gate - that shows a willing to admit your vulnerability that not too many rappers will have. The instrumental on here was especially potent, almost reminding me of some of Hit-Boy's work on Nas' King's Disease II album, only with a slightly rougher feel. This is actually one of the best tracks on the album, and would be a great closer. Weirdly though, there's still one more song to go. 

20. Kingmaker (prod. SNDTRAK)

That sample from the opening of OutKast's song "ATLiens" is such a nice gem. The production on here is just nice in general too - it feels more like something you'd find on a conscious hip-hop album than something by Xzibit, and offers up a bit of a change of pace from some of the other instrumentals on this project, which is appreciated even though the other beats on here are still dope. Xzibit's performance here is dope too - the way he ends every four bars with the titular word should be annoying, but it's actually really cool in my opinion, and I especially like the fact that this is quite matter-of-fact, and not too melodramatic. X appears to know that he's no longer as anticipated as in the early 2000s, which is an attitude that makes this album a far less obnoxious experience than something like a Blockbusta. This was a dope closer to the album. 

Xzibit in the big 25 - he really knocked it out of the park. Kingmaker is an entertaining album on all fronts, with an Xzibit who sounds excited and motivated to be back in the studio, and a set of beats that don't sound like cheap Metro Boomin imitations without any of the creativity, but instead like instrumentals that X may have found himself rhyming over in his early days, perhaps with a more modern sheen that's barely noticeable when it's fucking Xzibit rapping. This album is not a modern classic, and as comebacks go I probably wouldn't put it in the area of a We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. But I would say it's a hell of a lot better than what Busta Rhymes, Eminem and Ghostface Killah have been cooking up recently, and frankly a hell of a lot better than I expected it to be too. I think the reason I like this album is because X doesn't follow either of the big "no"'s of a veteran rap album these days - he doesn't pander to modern sounds, but he doesn't criticise them either (well he did once but that was it), and instead just creates a millenium-esque hip-hop album which just happens to have a release date of 2025. Sure, there were some bumps in the road, but the consistency of this project is mostly intact, and the highs here are some of the best of X's career since the days of Restless. Sometimes staying in your comfort zone as an artist can be a good thing, and this is certainly proof - I would highly recommend any X fan check this out, as it certainly exceeded my expectations and it may well for you too. Well done Xzibit, you should be proud - and as long as you don't start up a show about converting motorhomes into circuses in the next five years, then your legend status should be once again intact. 

Best: "For the Love"

Worst: "The Moment"

My score: 8/10

More Xzibit - here!

Update - May 15 2025

So anyone who reads this blog may have noticed that my output has slowed down substantially in recent months. Well, fear not my wonderful audience, because after my A Levels finish in a couple weeks, I'm taking a gap year, giving me time to earn a good amount of money for university, get jacked at the gym, go to Barcelona, and most importantly - start writing this blog again!! Expect the long awaited Atmosphere discography listen to begin, as well as one for Billy Woods, and a load more stuff as well. Any requests? Leave 'em in the comments. 

I look forward to spending the next year honing my writing skills, and hopefully building a bigger audience too. And thanks so much to anyone who's already part of it. And once again, apologies for being awol these past couple months - I'll make up for it in due time. Peace. 

Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

Having made two unsuccessful attempts to get people to actually listen to his Theodore Unit crew in the mid 2000s, in '06 Ghostface Killah realised he was running out of funds from his last solo effort The Pretty Toney Album, and knew that if he was to have any hope of continuing his collection of ugly ass shoes then he needed to drop another solo record asap. So, he set about recording, enlisting the likes of MF DOOM, Pete Rock, the late J Dilla and Just Blaze to ensure the highest quality of production work (although disappointingly not the RZA, nor any of the Wu Elements for that matter), and to help build more excitement for the project bought in every single living member of the Wu-Tang Clan to provide guest vocals, as well as the R&B crooner of the time Ne-Yo and a bunch of Theodore members to fill space. He made sure to include lots of short film samples too, although this time from Marvel animated series rather than Kung-Fu flicks - and he also built the album around a loose concept involving drug dealing and its effects on the community. And finally he made sure to pack this album to the absolute brim with songs - 24 tracks is always going to be daunting, no matter how many are 5 second edited clips from old Iron Man cartoons. Basically, everything about this album led fans to believe it was going to be the return of the Wu after some years of underwhelming output and beef. It was a culmination of the themes of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., the teamwork of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and the irritating skits of Supreme Clientele - and it was very highly anticipated. And in March of 2006 he actually managed to get Def Jam to release this album. The project every Wu fan was waiting for. Fishscale. 

I listened to Fishscale for the first time when I was in a Ghostface Killah phase, tracking down his whole catalogue, and at the time I absolutely loved it, if not quite as much as some of his earlier work. Now, I go back in with more unbiased eyes to see if it holds up as an album. The memories suggest yes, but we'll see anyway. Also, why do people hate this cover so much? I mean, it's not incredible, but it's no worse than most of his other covers. Hell, I'd rather look at this art than the assault on the eyes that is the Ironman colour scheme. Anyway, I digress. On with it!

1. The Return Of Clyde Smith (Skit)

Show of hands - who here wanted Clyde Smith to return? No-one? Well fuck you all then. 

2. Shakey Dog (prod. Lewis Parker)

Now that's more like it. Ghost takes a fantastically intense instrumental from Lewis Parker and relays a story over it that is incredibly impressive in how detailed and intricate it is. The track recalls memories of "Maxine" from Bulletproof Wallets, only this time the tale is not quite as harrowing, and the beat doesn't go into a weird Red Hot Chili Peppers style breakdown at the end. Ghost's storytelling abilities have never been more evident than on this track, as he finds a perfect balance between humour and seriously intense moments, and also manages to spew out the most random details while still keeping the listener engaged. The beat on here could be Ron Browz levels of quality and I would still love this song, and with this Lewis Parker beat the track becomes an immediate standout on the album. How the hell do you top this?

3. Kilo (feat. Raekwon) (prod. MoSS, add-prod. A. Acid)

I'm not sure where the fuck they got that sample from, but it damn sure does sound dope. The first of quite a few songs to feature Ghost's partner in crime Raekwon is a chill banger with a funky instrumental that details the pair's exploits in drug dealing, and while it's nowhere near the quality of the incredible opening track, this song certainly is fun, and offers a break in-between the intensity of the last song, and also the song that's coming up next. While Raekwon sounds kind of sleepy on his verse, which is sadly the norm for his mid-2000s work, Ghost offers up some great verses and very catchy hooks and bridges that leave the listener entertained if not wowed. Overall, I really like this one. 

4. The Champ (prod. Just Blaze)

For anyone who, for some inexplicable reason, heard every Ghost album except Ironman and Supreme Clientele, I'm sure they would name this as his signature song. Because this track is the fucking shit. Ghost drops three hype and energetic verses over a loud and celebratory instrumental, separated by interludes where producer Just Blaze announces our host as if he's taking on people in the boxing ring, and the result is probably the most hype track of Ghost's entire career (although I would argue "Buck 50" could have that spot). "Who wanna battle the don? I'm James Bond in the octagon with two razors / bet y'all didn't know I had a fake arm, I lost it / while in war, before rap I was getting it on". The rhyme schemes teamed with the braggadocios energy in this portion alone is enough to convince me Ghost is a top ten rapper, and there's plenty more where that came from in the song too. And the cherry on this incredible cake has to be the scratching at the end, where ODB's infamous shout out of our host on "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'" is scratched up as the beat drops back in, and played in full at the end. Pure energy right there. This is one of the best Ghost songs of all time, easily. 

5. Major Operation (Skit) (prod. Ken Lewis)

For some reason this album is filled with 5 second skits like this with a tailor made monologue made to sound like it's taken from a film. I don't mind the skits themselves, but I do wish they weren't separate tracks. It just makes things awkward. 

6. 9 Milli Bros. (feat. Wu Tang Clan) (prod. Metal Fingerz DOOM)

Yep, you read that right. The Wu-Tang, and every single member at that (for the only time outside the legendary "Triumph" on an officially released song), rapping over a DOOM beat. And you thought this album couldn't get any better. And for a Wu officially 10 years past their prime, they all sound pretty bloody fresh on this joint. The "bullshit hook" that starts this thing is fun, and Ghost gets things off to a fiery start as you'd expect, but everyone else does their thing too. Meth has a lightning flow that shows a man still very much pissed about the reception to Tical 0, GZA continues to prove why he's called the Genius, and U-God ends the track with one of my favourite verses from him ever - his flow on this beat is nice. Cappadonna is predictably kind of annoying, but otherwise they all slid. And goddamn is this DOOM beat good - it's the perfect mixture of classic hardcore hip-hop and DOOM's droning abstract sound, and I absolutely love it. For a Wu-Tang posse cut made in the year 2006, I really don't think this could have gone any better. 

7. Beauty Jackson (prod. J Dilla)

Once again, Ghost exhibits a natural ability for storytelling - hell, now that his music has reached the point of "quite bad" (see Set the Tone) he should get into writing fiction novels. On this song, he puts so much detail into this very short and kind of uneventful moment, where Ghost gets rizzy with an attractive woman at a bus stop, before she hastily jumps on the bus after Ghost's concealed gun falls out of his jacket. This song is too short to ever warrant someone disliking it, and the J Dilla instrumental (which also appeared on his album Donuts) is the perfect compliment to the sensual lyrics. This is a wonderful little song. 

8. Heart Street Directions (Skit)

Most of the time I don't like skits, but even I have to admit that this one is pretty fucking hilarious. "My man balls'll be out around there somewhere!"

9. Columbus Exchange (Skit) / Crack Spot (prod. Crack Val)

After a short skit in the vein of "Major Operation" a few tracks ago, Ghost tells various anecdotes about his crack house in the form of two short 'n' sweet verses, over a rather potent instrumental, especially considering how fucking horrible the stage name of the person who created it is. The first verse on this one is especially entertaining, as Ghost reintroduces the "Woodrow the Basehead" character from Supreme Clientele, detailing how he fainted while taking crack in the crack house, just before a knock on the door caused everyone to jump out of their seats. The storytelling here is hilarious and light hearted, and the upbeat and jazzy instrumental is as smooth as anything. Really like this one. 

10. R.A.G.U. (feat. Raekwon) (prod. Pete Rock, add-prod. A. Acid)

Very much in the same vein as the previous song, only now Raekwon is here to add his perspective, not one that's any different to Ghost's, mind you. Perhaps the most notable moment of this song is when the man Ghost and Rae are confronting accidentally shoots himself in the bollocks with his own gun, which I think was meant to be funny, but instead conjures up some horrible images in one's head. The rest of this track is pretty standard Ghost - Pete Rock's beat is smooth and sounds ever so slightly dusty (perfect for the Wu), and the storytelling is potent. This is definitely the weakest track so far, but it's still pretty good in my opinion.

11. Bad Mouth Kid (Skit) 

The way Ghost delivers his lines in this skit is pretty goofy, but otherwise this skit doesn't really lend itself to the man's character well at all. Threatening to assault a child with your belt in the middle of your album isn't good for press, Dennis. 

12. Whip You With a Strap (prod. J Dilla)

I'm not sure what's more worrying - the fact that Ghost has a song titled "Whip You With a Strap", or the fact that the song is actually pretty great. Yeah, the J Dilla beat is heavenly and has a really nice sample (with some admittedly slightly uncomfortable lyrics), and Ghostface has two really nice verses that show the man's personality and ability to get personal that a lot of rappers of his era weren't really able to do - at least not to this extent. Perhaps this song is part of the reason why I've seen some people call Ghost an "emo rapper". The way Ghost delivers his lyrics here really makes you feel the stories he's telling, and despite uncomfortable subject matter (about him being whipped as a child), the song seems to have pleasant undertones, as Ghost believes he deserved to get beaten and it helped him become the man he was today. Against all odds, this shit is actually really good - just perhaps not one to put on the aux in the car. 

13. Back Like That (feat. Ne-Yo) (prod. Xtreme)

Ghost shoots for the radio on this one, and it works surprisingly well, albeit perhaps not quite so much as the more inventive "Cherchez La Ghost", his other radio smash (I use the term "smash" very lightly). This track is a product of it's time, as it's a shameless mashing together of rap verses and an R&B chorus and therefore exactly the type of song that was likely to be popular in 2006, but the song works thanks to the instrumental, which is smooth, the verses which are actually well written, and a chorus that is catchy as all hell. This song is definitely not made for the Wu heads, but if it got Ghost some mainstream attention then it deserves the pass, even if it is the last time Ghost probably ever got played on the radio - and when compared to the far soppier but very similar "Never Be the Same Again", this song looks like a hip-hop classic. 

14. Be Easy (feat. Trife) (prod. Pete Rock)

I think I'm right in saying that this was also a single, albeit what was known as the "street single", as this has no smooth R&B chorus or piano-laden beat - instead Ghost spits fire over an upbeat Pete Rock concoction to make for what is one of the most hype tracks of his entire career. "Tell your crew to be easy!!" Ghost yells, and it's a threat you'd be inclined to listen to, as the man's flow on here is menacing and intense, and the pulsating instrumental will rattle your bones as you listen to it. "I'm like the boogeyman - nigga, I'll get ya!". There are so many classic lines on this one you'll lose count, and Trife Da God's contribution is limited to a short bridge, meaning that the instrumental is almost entirely covered by Ghost's incredible verses. This is possibly the best song on the entire album. 

15. Clipse Of Doom (feat. Trife) (prod. Metal Fingerz DOOM)

An area in which both Supreme Clientele and Ironman nail in my opinion is front to end consistency - the lesser quality songs on those albums (that are still great, mind) are spread throughout the tracklist, and the bangers and truly great songs are also spread evenly. This is where, in my opinion, Fishscale falls down - from here on out the album goes from fantastically consistent to merely pretty great but wobbly, and that's what in my opinion makes this album slightly weaker than every Ghost album up to this point beside Bulletproof Wallets (and his random collaborations too). Take this tune for example, which certainly isn't bad (Ghost's final verse here is actually quite compelling), but is a little too abrasive thanks to DOOM's noisy beat, and also just a little too stagnant lyrically. I don't dislike this song, but it doesn't really match the fun energy of this album at all. Oh well. 

16. Jellyfish (feat. Theodore Unit [Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs & Trife]) (prod. Metal Fingerz DOOM)

And as for this? I'm not sure what possessed Ghost to include this oddly creepy love song onto this album, but I do know that it doesn't really work within context at all. Not only is this instrumental completely unsuited to the lyrics being recited over it, but the lyrics themselves are quite weak too. And what the fuck was that Cappadonna verse? I don't think this song is bad on it's own, but it's inclusion on this album confuses the hell out of me. Still, it's certainly better than the love songs that littered his later album Ghostdini, so that's something I suppose. 

17. Dogs Of War (feat. Raekwon & Theodore Unit [Trife, Cappadonna & Sun God]) (prod. Pete Rock)

Yes, that is how these features are listed on the back cover. Ghost forgoes another DOOM beat in favour of a Pete Rock instrumental that sounds more suited to the aggressive style of these MCs, but unfortunately the beat here sounds much more clunky than that on the far superior "Be Easy" from a few tracks ago - this isn't a bad beat, but there's just something off about it, especially with that "it's a family" sample that throws the whole concoction off every time it jumps in. The lyrical content is boasts and bullshit pretty much, which is a far better choice of content for a posse cut than the weirdly out of place love raps on the previous song - still, this one isn't really up to snuff with a lot of 718, let alone the rest of Fishscale.

18. Barbershop (prod. The Studio Beatz)

I think going it alone for a track was probably the best option for Ghost at this point in the tracklist, as things seemed to be going off the rails a bit for the last few cuts. This song is a humorous and unique one verser that details Ghost's frustrations at being done dirty by his barber, and it's far more like the Ghostface Killah we know than the last two songs - in fact it's likely those were made last minute in order to help promote Ghost's Theodore Unit a little more, after 718 and Put It on the Line sold about as well as the cookies they sold door to door to raise money for the choir when they were younger. This is one of those instances where the lyrics of a song are so good and so captivating that the music doesn't even matter. It's a great track. 

19. Ms. Sweetwater (Skit)

Another skit? I thought we were finished with those!

20. Big Girl (prod. Ghostface, add-prod. A. Acid)

It was certainly a bold move of Ghost to rap over the same sample that inspired Nas' infamous travesty of a song also called "Big Girl", and even bolder to advertise this very fact within the song title, but surprisingly he manages to pull the stunt off, and not just because he, unlike Nas, doesn't come across as a complete creepo during the track's runtime. This song helps serve into the incredibly loose narrative of this album, which is that Ghost transitions from being a drug dealer into leaving the profession after he realises the effects of these drugs on those around him. You could put all of these tracks into this narrative if you really tried, but this one fits in the best, as it's narrative surrounds Ghost meeting some girls who are spiralling into cocaine addiction, and attempting to convince them to stop taking the drugs and pursue actual careers. The track is heartwarming and surprisingly mature from the man who once rapped "you dumb bitch, horny hot fuck from out the mountains!!". Sure, the sample on here does recall disturbing memories for us Nas fans, but if you ignore that then this stands out as one of the best written tracks on the album. 

21. Underwater (prod. Metal Fingerz DOOM)

After a shockingly serious moment, Ghost takes us back into his weird and wonderful mind by taking a nautical DOOM instrumental and rapping about imagining being underwater, for a reason known to only Ghost himself apparently. This song fucking rocks, with easily the best Metal Fingers concoction on the entire album creating the perfect atmosphere for the lyrics Ghost is rapping, which are not only unusual but also more often than not memorable. The flows on here are some of the best on the entire album, especially the bit where he says "I bet this'll bring that out", but really everything is an improvement upon the previous DOOM collabs (not counting the Wu posse cut). This is fucking awesome. 

22. The Ironman Takeover (Skit)

>:-(

23. Momma (feat. Megan Rochell) (prod. Sean C & LV)

An unusually mainstream way to end the album - I'm not asking for another "Wu Banga 101", but surely Ghost should know that his fans really aren't interested in overdramatic music like this with an R&B tinged hook. "Back Like That" was one thing, but at least it was catchy. Ghost's lyrics here dedicated to single mothers in the hood are very sweet, but musically this is too soppy, and frankly didn't age very well either. Still, it's a hell of a lot better than the boring as shit "Love" that the otherwise excellent The Pretty Toney Album ended with. 

The following song is listed as a bonus track, despite appearing on every pressing of the album out there. I'd probably call that good marketing if this wasn't the case with almost every bonus track on mid 2000s hip-hop albums. 

24. Three Bricks (feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Raekwon) (prod. Cool & Dre, co-prod. Diddy)

I'm sure people were sick of hearing more exploitative unreleased Biggie verses by 2006 after the much maligned Duets: The Final Chapter came out the year prior (I believe this track right here was recorded for that album, but was left off the "final" (hehe) cut), but thankfully this track actually sounds pretty goddamn good if you ask me - maybe because Biggie's verse is nicked straight out of his classic track "Niggas Bleed", rather than his hard drive of half assed "unreleased for a reason" verses that were used on many posthumous cuts. This track here features an infectious but menacing Cool & Dre instrumental, and some dope performances from Ghost and Rae in the later half of the track. Yes, the song is a bit shameful in that it uses Biggie's name to promote itself, but at least it sounds good. That's all I can ask for. 

Even though Fishscale features a Ghostface who's well over ten years into his career, it's still just as exciting as you'd expect a release from a brand new abstract hip-hop artist to be. This thing is just insanely fun, and not unlike previous Ghost projects isn't afraid to have it's serious moments as well (whether or not these always work is another matter). While fellow Wu members were losing more and more relevancy by the second, along with artistic integrity, Ghostface Killah was on top form in the mid 2000s, and Fishscale is the pinnacle of his work from this era - even if I personally enjoy The Pretty Toney album a smidge more, there's no doubt that Fishscale is about as Ghostface as a Ghostface album can be - whether it's the high quantity of detailed and hilarious drug dealing tales, the weirdly abstract production or the abundance of Wu members and affiliates showing up around every corner, this thing exudes Ghostface's fun and unpredictable energy. It's not a perfect album - tracks 15 to 17 get a bit dull at times, the skits make the tracklist seem way too cluttered, and the last song (not counting the bonus track) completely misses the mood of the project - but what it is is ambitious and highly contagious - you won't stop bumping this if you hear it, that's guaranteed. I also love the album's loose concept, of Ghost being a drug dealer who slowly realises the negative impacts that that is having on the community around him - that's how I read into it anyway. And if you're looking for classic Ghost bangers, look no further than "Shakey Dog and "The Champ", two of his best hits ever. This album is great, and even if there are some consistency issues in the second half, the overall listen is one that I and many others love. While Ghost would go on to keep pumping out great material in the 2000s and even 2010s, he never got quite this ambitious, or quite this weird, again. Thanks for reading!

Best tracks: Shakey Dog, The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, Crack Spot, Be Easy, Underwater

Worst tracks: Jellyfish, Momma

I've written a hell of a lot more about Ghostface Killah if anyone's interested!

Ghostface Killah & Trife Da God - Put It On the Line

I'm back!

Following a highly productive 2004 in which he released his excellent Def Jam debut and introduced his new crew Theodore Unit, Ghostface Killah was back in the eyes of the public, the rap game like putty in his hands once more after a few years absent from the game. And like the noble gentleman he proved himself to be on records such as "Wildflower", Ghost decided that his next move should be to put on one of his homies, and since Trife Da God happened to be rolling his blunts in the studio that day (while muttering to himself about guns of course), he decided that was whom his protege would be. I mean, the guy did appear on a top 10 Ghost song ("Biscuits", you can fight me on that in the comments), so it was only right that Ghost returned the favour. He even got Koch Records to release the project, which some fans may have argued was a bad thing, but I digress. Everything was on track for Trife to get his chance at the big time. 

Unfortunately, Koch being the unfaithful bastards they are, Ghost was forced to place his own name on this album cover and record songs for it, so as to make it a far more marketable collaboration between the two MCs rather than a Trife solo. And then, Koch dropped the project altogether for some unknown reason, possibly so they could run off to try and save Xzibit's rapping career, which by now was on life support. This left Ghost to release this project independently on his own label, which is why it's likely that a lot of readers probably don't even know this existed, and would much rather read a write-up on Fishscale.

And as much as I'd love to talk about an album that people actually give a singular shit about, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I did this Ghostface discography out of order. Also, this album really isn't that bad. So, without further ado, here's the first acknowledgement of Put It On the Line since Max of Hip Hop Isn't Dead's excellent write up way back in 2008. And if you're lucky, I might write about Fishscale next. We'll see...

1. Cocaine Trafficking (prod. Anthony Acid)

Immediately, Ghost and Trife let us know that this album is going to have a completely different sound to the 2004 Theodore Unit album 718, which Put It On the Line is pretty much a spiritual successor to. The instrumental on here is aggressive, hardcore, and not chilled out in the slightest, with some slow paced piano keys and loud drums making for a dramatic entrance that really doesn't sound like a lot Ghost had done in the past - it's much more similar to stuff we would hear on his next three albums. And that's a good thing, as Ghost shines through on here with aggressive delivery and reasonably engaging lyrics that unfortunately only last for the first verse - remember, this was supposed to be a Trife solo, so you can expect him to have much more screen time than Pretty Toney on here. And for what it's worth, Trife sounds more at home here than on almost any of his performances on 718, with a chorus and verse that both sound tailor-made for the beat - sure, his lyrics are still about as peaceful as The Terminator, but at least the beat here feels like it warrants that kind of aggression. Overall, a very strong way to start this CD. 

2. Put It On The Line (prod. Look Out Ent.)

And after dominating the first song, the second is handled by Trife and Trife alone - in fact, there aren't that many songs on here where both MC's appear together at all, which is fair enough since they don't really have a ton of chemistry. This beat is a bit more relaxed than the previous one, with a nice little vocal sample repeating the titular phrase that's actually really quite memorable, and a nice groove elsewhere in the beat which keeps things moving. And Trife's lyrics are also more engaging than normal, with him discussing his history in the first verse, so that's good. I wouldn't say that I'm completely smitten with this one, as it does follow a very basic structure, and the hook is too long - but it does show some growth from Trife as an MC, a growth that we can hope continues throughout the runtime of this album. 

3. Struggle (prod. Nottz)

The first and only Ghost solo song, and it's so far easily my favourite on the album - sorry Trife, but in no universe are you as vivid of a storyteller as Ghost is. This track features an excellently soulful beat from Nottz that sounds like an outtake from The Pretty Toney Album (if you've read my review for that you'll know that's a good thing), and two verses from Ghost that are both some of the most engaging on the album thus far. The first details a life as some kind of mob boss, that pictures Ghost as ruthless - he acts as if not cutting people's limbs off is an act of mercy, dropping "faggot"'s and "motherfucker"'s like it was his day job (which it kind of is). The second verse is great too, arguably better, as Ghost details a poor and cold upbringing in New York, bringing back memories of the classic "All That I Got Is You" - I especially find the line about eating rice and ketchup quite memorable. And, to further put this ahead of the pack, Ghost doesn't feel the need to throw in an eight bar chorus in the middle, leaving the lovely sample to do it's thing alone instead. Yeah, this song is dope as fuck, and one big reason for Ghost fans to seek this album out. 

4. Hustle Hard (prod. Look Out Ent.)

Strap in, folks, for the next three songs are all without GFK. Are you kidding me? The first of which is "Hustle Hard", which seems to have caught on the most out of this album - it's by far the most viewed song on the album on Genius.com, which may be due to the 50 Cent sample in the chorus, which does sound dope. However, I don't see any other reason why this should surpass the popularity of "Put It On the Line", or to give an example of a later song, "War" - because this does not deviate from the Trife formula at all. The instrumental is actually one of the weaker on this album - the bass groove is smooth but the drums and sound effects are too glittery for my liking - and Trife just does what he always does, rhyming about drug dealing with the same goddamn flow again and again. He even throws a cheeky little bit of misogyny in there to spice things up - "bag the prettiest broads, and teach 'em how to move coke in their panties and bras". Does he not realise how much of a prick that makes him sound? I don't hate Trife, and I don't hate this song, but by this point I'm already wishing the man would switch things up with his style - and we're not even a quarter way through yet. No wonder the label wanted to throw Ghostface into the mix. 

5. Event (prod. Emile Haynie)

I must admit... I do kind of like this one. Emile Haynie (I still find it weird how he used to work with Ghost and co.) cooks up a behemoth of a beat, that's so intense it'll have you checking behind your shoulder every other bar to make sure Trife himself isn't standing behind you, ready to tie you up and spend the next two hours detailing just how goddamn dangerous he is and how many drugs he's going to stuff in your private parts, allowing you time to slip free and escape. And yes, once again Trife makes it clear that he's willing to go out with a woman just so he can hide drugs in her clitoris. What the fuck. Other than that, this song is pretty good, with a nice beat and some good lines, as well as a chorus that actually works - "the moral of the story is it ain't one" is arguably the best line on the album so far, and probably the funniest thing Trife has ever said in his life. It's no "Struggle" or even "Cocaine Trafficking", but it's still decent enough. I like it. 

6. Gangsta Shit (feat. Tommy Whispers) (prod. MoSS)

And the award for most creative song title goes to... (wait, did I use that one before?). This song is a lot better than the generic-ass title would lead you to believe, though, as MoSS (stupid name and all) really puts his all into this beat, which is smooth but also kind of unsettling, and has a great upbeat groove during the chorus, which actually sounds like a chorus too, rather than just four random bars they decided to repeat like most hooks on this album. Trife does okay on the track, with two verses about - you guessed it - gangsta shit; he even has one pretty memorable bar with "in the hood I'm a Legend like John", which is in no way clever, but at least shows more effort than usual. Perhaps the strangest verse on this track comes from guest star Tommy Whispers, who spits the third verse while apparently trying purposely to emulate the style of Ghostface - why else would he sound so similar? Seriously, when he first came in I thought it was Ghostface and the credits had made a mistake, and he even uses the "uh-huh" ad-lib Ghost utilises constantly. How the hell did the engineers not notice that? Still, overall I enjoy this one quite a bit - it's not great, but it is entertainment. 

7. Fire (prod. Jim Bond)

Ghost's first appearance since track 3 is unfortunately marred by the fact that this instrumental is one of the weakest on the album so far - I mean, this beat is seriously not that good in my opinion. The sample is awkward, the instruments are unpleasant, and the melody is repetitive. I don't like it at all. The chorus on this one is also repetitive as fuck, and while I enjoyed Ghost's verse a decent amount, you just know the man could be far better at this stage of his career. Trife's verse is arguably superior - he keeps surprising me with humorous lines, even ones that aren't supposed to be - here, it's the undisputedly knee-slap worthy "when I walk through I set off all sprinkler systems". The verses here are solid, but to be honest I was left underwhelmed by this one as a whole. 

8. Project Soap Operas (feat. Kryme Life & Tommy Whispers) (prod. Animal House)

Since Ghost evidently wasn't in the studio for this one, they got two of the best impersonators they could instead to replace him. I remember in an older post I mentioned how Trife sometimes sounded like he was trying to emulate Ghostface - well, it's nothing compared to these two other guys. Still, I don't mind too much, because this song is actually goddamn incredible. The instrumental is dark and depressing, with the three MC's each dropping verses where they account a tragedy that has occurred in the streets, all displaying quite potent storytelling skills that are remarkable for rappers who really hadn't been rapping for that long at this time. I think the best writing on here actually came from Tommy Whispers, with his story having an intense build up that keeps the listener on their toes throughout, ending in tragedy to show that life is no movie, and real life in the hood holds no happy endings. The news report outro where the woman tells witnesses to call "1-800-you-snitch" is harrowing too - these incidents can never have justice, because of this idea that telling someone about a murder is "snitching". Yes, snitching is pretty awful in some cases, but it can be a good thing too. Overall, this is the best song yet, and if you're gonna listen to a song without Ghost on this album, definitely let it be this one. Man, this is good. 

9. War (prod. PHENOM)

A Trife Da God solo - who would have guessed? And this one is pretty fun, if one of the songs I have the least to talk about on this album. Trife once again makes a goofy play on a musician's name, there's more sampling in the chorus, talk about being a hustler... the song's alright, man. It's okay. But it's also pretty forgettable and not one anyone would return to outside of the full album. That's just how it is. 

10. Out Da Way (feat. Wigs) (prod. Anthony Acid)

The second song on the album to feature no Trife, which makes sense as he would have been completely out of place on this brilliant instrumental that plays tribute to The D.O.C.'s "It's Funky Enough", to fantastic results. This short but wonderful back and forth between Ghostface and Shawn Wigs is pretty humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously, with Wigs' squeaks not being obnoxious but actually sounding rather excellent. Shawn actually gets far more screen-time than Ghost on this one, which is a shame as when he is present Ghost sounds incredible - but Shawn holds his own too, proving again to be the best Theodore Unit member in my opinion. Who cares that he kinda sounds like Fred Durst - dude is still dope. This was a nice break from the hardcore shit elsewhere on the album, and I really appreciate it - this song rocks!

11. Drugz (prod. Dirty Dean)

Not drugs, no. "Drugz". Get it right. This track is all about Trife getting falsely accused of drug possession, with "falsely" being difficult to believe considering that almost every verse he's spit so far on this album consists of him rapping about being a drug dealer. Still, at least, like the previous song, it's a nice change of pace, and I like Trife's flows on here quite a bit too. The sample on this one also reminds me of the sample on Ghostface's song "It's Over" quite a bit - it could be the same sample actually, although perhaps with altered lyrics. The lyrics from Trife on here are actually kinda engaging, and musically it's pretty nice too. Yeah, this is a pretty cool song. 

12. Milk 'Em (prod. MRR-ADM)

The only single from this project, and it wasn't even released for this album. Originally, this was a standalone single by Ghost featuring Trife, and came as part of this vinyl single (that I actually own) with five different versions of the song - the one on here being the "MHE Version" listed on the vinyl. And this may be my favourite of all of them, with a fantastically haunting instrumental that is the most hardcore and "Wu" style of the whole entire album. I mean, this beat is raunchy and aggressive as fuck, and is the perfect match for the Ghostface Killah, who murks this instrumental like it was wearing the wrong New Balance. The "Mighty Healthy" scratches at the start are brilliant as well, and I even don't mind how abruptly the song ends - it just helps it to keep that frantic energy. And while Trife is solid, Ghost is the real star of the show here. This is easily one of the dopest tracks on the album. 

13. Late Night Arrival (feat. Wigs) (prod. J-Love)

Another shorter, interlude style song, where Ghost, Trife, Wigs and an uncredited Solomon Childs all compete for most cocky demeanour, with Ghost coming out on top thanks to the line "fuck Mike Jordan, it's P-Tone in the air". The instrumental on here is airy and sinister, perfectly capturing the sound of a night in the city of New York, and all of the MC's do their thing over the beat - even Solomon Childs doesn't sound awful, despite the fact that in the time between 718 and this album he still hasn't learned the difference between "flowing" and "speaking". Actually, I'm not sure why Solomon is on this album at all - didn't he get kicked from Theodore Unit, hence why he isn't credited here? I'm not sure, but I am sure that this is a really cool little track. Check it out. 

14. Man Up (feat. Sun God) (prod. Anthony Acid)

This is unprecedented - after the first eleven songs here consisted of a total two songs with Trife and Ghost rapping together, we've now just had three in a row straight collaborations. It's a shame that this is also the last on the album. Also, that this song isn't great. It's probably the most generic thuggish ruggish song on the album, with a beat and hook that sound like something from a later DMX album - that's not a compliment mind you. Still, I liked Trife and Ghost on here, so that's something - then again, I don't think Ghostface could write a bad verse if he tried in the mid 2000s. The song also serves as the introduction of the new Theodore member, Sun God (a horrible stage name if ever I've heard one), who also happens to be Ghostface's son. I find it quite funny that, between Shawn Wigs, Trife, Kryme Life and Tommy Whispers, Ghostface's actual son is the one to sound least like him - then again you'd have to be pretty talented to do a Ghost impression as well as Kryme Life. Anyway, this song is pretty ehh - as much as I hate to admit it, solid verses can't save a washed out chorus and beat, and that's evident with this track. 

15. Game Time (prod. Emile Haynie)

God, I do write a lot, don't I. This is the last song on the actual album (although there are bonus tracks to follow), and thankfully it's a step up from the previous song, with an intense beat from Emile Haynie that allows Trife to spit his shit and go out with a bang, as he's nowhere to be found on the songs that are to follow. Tommy Whispers also shows up on here for an uncredited verse - or at least it's him according to Genius and other publications. It sure as hell doesn't sound like the guy on "Gangsta Shit", but whatever. Point is, this song is a pretty cool way to end the album, if Trife's preference for long and repetitive hooks is starting to wear a little thin by now. Also, yet another celebrity name is tastelessly punned on here. Who the hell keeps telling him to do that??

The following three songs are all listed as bonus tracks, yet sadly might well have been the songs Ghost fans were most hyped for on this album, for reasons that will soon become clear...

16. The Watch (feat. Raekwon) (prod. RZA)

The first of the three bonus songs is kind of infamous among hardcore Wu fans as one of a few songs from the Bulletproof Wallets recording sessions, that ended up not making the album despite being leaked to the streets and getting great reception. Here was the first time it saw an official release, and that's a good thing, as the song is dope as shit. The instrumental is the exact one used on Nas' "No Idea's Original" and Mos Def's "Grown Man Business", and it's a great beat with dusty drums, a memorable riff, and great flutes (or whatever they are) that make for something goddamn creative. And Ghost, ever the visionary, uses the beat to humanise his watch collection, with Rae playing the role of a watch mocking Ghost for not getting much radio play compared to other MCs, like DMX and Jay-Z. The lyrics in this one are so memorable and often hilarious that you'll wish the song lasted longer, and didn't spend it's entire second half acting as a platform for Ghost rambling rather than rapping - still, I can't say this one is anything less than fantastic. Dope shit. 

17. Ghost & Giancana (feat. Kool G Rap) (prod. Da Beatminerz)

A pretty cool collaboration between Ghost and legendary mafioso rapper Kool G Rap, who's catalogue I'm pretty excited to explore (yes, I've never listened to a Kool G Rap album - I'm only 17, I'll get there), and this only furthers my hype. The beat on here is kinda weird, but I like it, and Ghost absolutely murks it, with his voice being as brilliant as ever, and his flow being potent as can be over such unconventional music. Kool G Rap also does his thing with lyrics about killing your bitch ass, and the beat certainly helps add to this air that you're trying to escape the two hosts before they catch you. This is a cool track - I wonder if it was meant for an album. 

18. The Sun (feat. Raekwon & Slick Rick) (prod. RZA)

Like "The Watch" this song was cut from Bulletproof Wallets, but in this case the song didn't get removed from the tracklist on the CD art, which greatly disappointed many who were hoping to hear Slick Rick on a Ghost album. Well, their wishes were granted here when the song saw a release, and... the song is weird. However, I kind of like it. After 17 songs of drugs, guns and killing, it's nice to hear a track showing love and appreciation for Mother Nature, and one of life's simple pleasures that is basking in the heat of the sun, whether you're lying on a beach or going on a coastal stroll. The track features no profanity, no-one is killed, and not a single drug is sold - this song is pure innocence, and actually works quite well. Except the final bar of Raekwon's verse, which is awkwardly placed and makes no sense. Just listen to it and you'll see. While I understand that this song would have been a weird way to open an album titled Bulletproof Wallets, I think it would have been an interesting experiment. This song is actually kinda dope. 

If I were to judge an album objectively based on how unique, forward-thinking, and well-written it was, I think I would give Put It On the Line a 5 or a 6 out of 10. However, I don't do that - I judge it on how much I enjoy the listen, and how much I think others might too, and with that in mind this thing is pure entertainment, and is actually pretty great. Sure, the writing is repetitive. Sure, some of the choruses are totally unnecessary and bog the songs down. Sure, the album isn't a well thought-out collab, but rather a poorly sequenced mashup of Ghost and Trife songs that make the album sound like a bootleg compilation. But still, against all odds, this thing keeps giving, and constantly finds ways to entertain you, through memorable samples, dope flows, and fantastic Ghost performances that are almost consistently of top quality. One of the best songs here is the only Ghost solo track "Struggle", which would have given songs on The Pretty Toney Album a run for their money. And don't think for a second that their aren't other high quality moments. "Milk 'Em" is a fantastic hardcore banger. "Project Soap Operas" is probably one of the best songs recorded by Wu-Tang affiliates, full stop. "Late Night Arrival" and "Out Da Way" are some fantastic little tunes that really keep this album interesting and invigorating. And overall, this album is just for people that like rapping and like beats. It's not going to impress you. It's not intending to spread a message. It's goal isn't even to be concise. It's simply there to entertain. And on that front, I'd say it delivers, and is yet another stellar entry in the Ghost catalogue. I'd recommend a listen - and hey, if you pick the CD up you get a bonus DVD of Ghost live on stage, and who doesn't want that?

Best Tracks: Cocaine Trafficking, Struggle, Project Soap Operas, Out Da Way, Milk 'Em, Late Night Arrival, The Watch, Ghost & Giancana, The Sun

Worst Tracks: Fire, Man Up

I've written about Ghostface before too!